A Tango Of Intrigue (Second Draft) Poem by Margaret Alice Second

Nelson Mandela erudite, refined and charismatic,
threatening the propaganda image of rural black
people without learning, Western powers realised
he’s the ideal pawn to bring into play while forced
to give up apartheid losing South Africa to the
Marxists, discussions revealed a reconciliation
theory which seemed like a fairy tale, a miracle
too good to be true

When released Mandela entered politics, aura and
halo lighting up the scene, in wonderment we all
watched as he grew in stature turning into the Prince
of Peace, with his faith in goodness he infused belief
in magic, pulling the strings in puppet politics, those
behind the scene were speechless, a man who passed
through a furnace of painful incarceration and
endless sacrifice, emerged

As Saviour of the lost tribes of Africa, freeing all in one
mighty stride, not allowing tribal rivalries to derail his
policies – I’m gushing and so it will be when I’m talking
of Nelson Mandela who saved us before we even knew
that the gates of hell were opening to swallow us whole
- created a fairy tale of a handsome prince, not only
fighting the dragon of racialism, but saving the
sleepwalking nation with a kiss

The selfish court awakened and started a dance of
negotiation creating bewildering steps of compromise
and reconciliation, a tango of political intrigue so
intricate that we seem unable to master the steps
and continue the dance now Mandela is gone –
but the adoring public remembers, South Africa’s
citizens dancing in freedom, jumping high and
shouting holding our arms

Like the bow of a ship, kicking high in the gum-
boot dance with determined set-of-the-chin
to a music played from tomorrow…

[Marilese 23 January 2014]